Do you feel that your gym truly goes by the levels listed for teams. Meaning, do you feel that girls or guys are on higher teams then they deserve to be on . I know that some great bases and backspots get to be on our higher level teams with not as much tumbling. Do you think that is fair?
In my gym I have quite a few girls who are only "working" on thier bhs and they are on my level 3 team. I have considered dropping the team to level 2 but thier stunting capabilities are level 3 or even 4. They do ok when competing against other level 3 teams, sometimes 1st, sometimes lower..never last. The thing that kills us is tumbling. Otherwise they are a true level 3 team. At what point do you make the decision to move up or down? Should it be based soley on tumbling??
I think it all depends on how a person defines "truly goes at the levels listed for their teams." For some that means if you have the bare minimum of skills required to be a level 3, that is where you should be. others feel you only need one skill set (tumbling, jumps, stunting, dance) to be level3., Others think until you can max out that skill set across the board you are not a level 3.
One thing to remember is that it takes all types to make a truly successful team. My daughter could base/backspot level 4 and 5 skills, but her tumbling is level1/2, so she is on a level 2 team. I have some other kids who can base or fly any thing you ask, but their tumbling is a level or two below level 5. Where do you put them to make the best team? Not just to make somebody feel good? This is another reason where crossovers help a smaller gym. They can keep a lower level tumbler on a team where those skills could be thrown and not look out of place, but also use their other skills to help other teams at a higher level.
Another (forgotten) thing to consider is attitude. I would rather have a hard working, no complaining, I will try my best every time kid on a team with few skills, than the kid who think they are God's gift to cheerleading and have no problem letting every body know it. I can get the kid with few skills more skills. I can not get the kid with a bad attitude a better attitude. And one kid with a bad attitude can infect a whole team, or gym for that matter. Swhat if they have awesome skills, if they are always causing trouble?
Ultimately the decision is up to the coaches to structure the best teams possible. Let them do what they do.
Are gym is small and we have some strong bases that just can't get over there fear of tumbling, but in order to have a higher level team for the other girls we need to filter in the ones who are not tumbling. We work on everyones weaknesses and we build on there strengths. We are a team and with out everyones in put we would falter. I love are team. We have improved in points with every comp. I think the other girls that are struggling see the ones that can tumble and it causes them to try harder. The ones that can tumble really help and support the girls that are trying.
When buikding a team it there is more than just tumbling to consider. Routines require bases, flyers, tumblers, jumpers, dancers, performers and even that one person who has that go get it positive attitude. So being on a higher level and you may not have the tumbling skill, but could have one or all the others needed for the higher level team may be why that person is on a higher level than just his/her tumbling skill. That is why we have to trust our gym owners and coaches to make the right choices. It is their job to put together teams that are successful. At our gym we have a young lady who is struggling with tumbling(but use to have the skill to be on level 4). however she is a great dancer, her jumps are to die for and she performs her butt off. She can base any stunt you put her in and her cheerleading skills are truley a level 4. So as a coach do you say ok, she cant do her level 4 tumbling so she can't compete level 4? Most likely not, because she makes up for it in every other aspect of it without the tumbling.
You just have to trust your coaches and understand that their other aspects to cheer than tumbling to build stong teams and routines. That is why we parents are the parents and they are the coaches and we let them do thier jobs. I say that with all the respect in the world, because I do not want them telling me how to raise my kids or do my job as a a parent, so we have to give them the same respect
it seems like teams achieve their stunting requirements better than the tumbling requirements. at my gym we often have to move strong bases and backspots up to the higher level to help out, even though they may have hardly any tumbling at all. even at alot of comps, you'll see that teams have stunts at the right level but their squad tumbling level may be lower
I don't know, at a recent comp stunts were falling left and right in levels 4 and under, but their tumbling and dances looked okay. I was thinking that might be because members new to cheer may already have a background in dance, or gymnastics. But those new to cheer typically have no experience in stunting, they're all learning from scratch. Just what I observed recently..
I don't know, at a recent comp stunts were falling left and right in levels 4 and under, but their tumbling and dances looked okay. I was thinking that might be because members new to cheer may already have a background in dance, or gymnastics. But those new to cheer typically have no experience in stunting, they're all learning from scratch. Just what I observed recently..
it seems like teams achieve their stunting requirements better than the tumbling requirements. at my gym we often have to move strong bases and backspots up to the higher level to help out, even though they may have hardly any tumbling at all. even at alot of comps, you'll see that teams have stunts at the right level but their squad tumbling level may be lower
I agree. Alot of times newer gyms will be lacking in the tumbling that a more established gym has. It takes time to build up the talent pool.
